The Givens Foundation for African American Literature

06/15/2026

Thank you to our partners at the University of Minnesota!

05/07/2026

Success is about more than what you build; it’s about what you leave behind.

When Archie Givens Sr. became Minnesota’s first Black millionaire, he didn't just build a business empire—on his shoulders, a foundation was laid for the Givens Collection of African American Literature.

Today, we honor that ripple effect. From the 18th-century "Poems on Various Subjects" to the scripts of the Penumbra Theatre, these aren't just artifacts. They are the blueprints of our resilience and the receipts of our brilliance.

We are proud to be the guardians of these stories for 40 years and counting.

Join the conversation: If you could preserve one story or book for the next 100 years, what would it be? Let us know in the comments! 👇

04/28/2026

Did you know that a candle lit in Minnesota 40 years ago is now shining light on Black literature across the globe? 🕯️✨

From the visionary legacy of Archie Givens Sr.—Minnesota’s first Black millionaire—to the world-class Givens Collection of African American Literature at the University of Minnesota, our impact is felt far beyond state lines.

We aren't just archiving books; we are preserving the soul of a culture. By protecting over 10,000 items—from rare 18th-century manuscripts to the archives of the Penumbra Theatre—we are ensuring that Black stories, Black economy, and Black brilliance are never erased.

Can you see the ripple effect? Whether it’s through affordable housing that stabilized our neighborhoods or the "Culture Matters" programs in our schools, the Givens legacy is about building a foundation where everyone can thrive.

🌍 Help us celebrate 40 years of the Givens Collection! How has Black literature or history shaped your world? Share your story below! 👇

04/16/2026

From the visionary legacy of Archie Givens Sr. and Phebe Mae Givens —Minnesota’s first Black millionaires—to the world-class Givens Collection of African American Literature at the University of Minnesota, our impact is felt far beyond state lines.

We aren't just archiving books; we are preserving the soul of a culture. By protecting over 10,000 items—from rare 18th-century manuscripts to the archives of the Penumbra Theatre—we are ensuring that Black stories, Black economy, and Black brilliance are never erased.

Can you see the ripple effect? Whether it’s through affordable housing that stabilized our neighborhoods or the "Culture Matters" programs in our schools, the Givens legacy is about building a foundation where everyone can thrive.

🌍 Help us celebrate 40 years of the Givens Collection! How has Black literature or history shaped your world? Share your story below! 👇

04/16/2026

Legacy.

ARCHIE AND PHEBE GIVENS

Undated photo from 1949 of Archie Givens, Sr., center, at the Givens Ice Cream Bar, which opened in Minneapolis in 1947. (Courtesy of the Givens Foundation)

Minnesota’s first black millionaire died in 1974, but the family legacy lives on through literature.

Archie and Phebe Givens married in the 1940s, having met while growing up in North Minneapolis. A successful real estate developer, Archie Givens was later dubbed the state’s first black millionaire, and his wife, also a philanthropist, was considered by many to be Minnesota’s black Florence Nightingale.

The couple opened the state’s first racially integrated nursing homes, and Phebe Givens became the first black woman to be licensed within the state as a nursing home administrator.

Founded in 1972 as a scholarship organization, the Archie and Phebe Mae Givens Foundation sponsors emerging black authors and community reading campaigns. The Archie Givens Sr. Collection of African-American Literature spans more than 10,000 rare and first-edition books and manuscripts at the University of Minnesota.

Archie Givens died in 1974, and Phebe Givens died in 2015

Source - twincities.org

03/25/2026

To write as a Black woman is to choose visibility in a world that has often demanded silence.

African American women writers take risks every time they put pen to paper.

They tell truths about:
• Race and gender
• Power and vulnerability
• Love and harm within our own communities
• Systems that were never built with us in mind

And they do it with clarity.

With care.

With courage.

Their work is not just creative expression.

It is cultural truth-telling.

Who is a Black woman writer whose work tells the truth in a way that stayed with you?

03/18/2026

Black women don’t just write stories.

They write with culture.

African American women writers carry:
• Oral tradition and ancestral memory
• Rhythm, cadence, and linguistic innovation
• Spiritual and embodied knowledge
• Intergenerational storytelling practices

Their work is layered.

A sentence can hold:
A grandmother’s voice
A migration story
A prayer
And a protest

All at once.

This is not accidental.

It is cultural precision.

This is why their writing doesn’t just inform.

It moves. It remembers. It restores.

What’s a book by a Black woman that changed how you see the world?

Drop it below. Let’s build a living library together.

12/23/2025

We don’t believe in passive consumption of literature. We believe in activation. Programs where people don’t just listen — they become part of something. If you build spaces like that — we want to know you.

12/16/2025

I still remember the first book that made me feel seen. The shock of recognition. The warmth of belonging. That moment planted the seed for the work we do at the Givens Foundation every single day.

12/11/2025

Black literature holds multitudes: joy, grief, laughter, rebellion, tenderness, truth-telling, invention. We celebrate all of it. Every facet is part of our brilliance.